Various types of imaging devices are commonly used in industry to form images on print media such as paper. Common examples of imaging devices are printing devices including laser printers, LED printers, and drop-on-demand ink printers, such as inkjet printers employing aqueous or phase change inks. While these various printing devices may employ different techniques to form images on print media, common printing devices typically consume electrical energy when activated. Electrical energy is consumed at varying rates during imaging operations, during printer maintenance operations, and also during periods of inactivity between imaging operations. Different classes of printing device may consume different amounts of electricity depending upon various factors including how many sheets of print media each printing device images during a given time period.
The cost of electrical energy is one component in the overall cost of using a printing device. When comparing different printing devices, a disparity in electrical energy consumption between different printing systems may make a particular printing device appear to be less economical to operate. However, printing devices that consume additional electrical energy may be more efficient in other areas, including having improved throughput, colorant usage, and image quality. Additionally, the overall energy efficiency of a printing system may include factors that offset the reduced efficiency caused by the printing system consuming a moderately greater amount of electrical energy in operation. A printing system that produces comparatively less waste material may consume less overall energy during the printing system's lifetime, and solid ink printers have this advantage over other common printing systems. However, these advantages in energy efficiency are less visible than a direct measurement of operational electrical energy consumption. Thus, operating printing devices in a manner that reduces visible cost disparities due to electrical energy consumption improves the efficiency of operating printing devices and benefits the field of printing.